smith



Sept. 23, 1958 s rr 2,853,184

MATCH CASE Filed- March 5, 1956 LEON E. SMITH,

ATTORNEY IN VEN TOR. I

United States Patent MATCH CASE Leon E. Smith, Detroit, Mich. Application March 5, 1956, Serial No. 569,368 1 Claim. (Cl. 206-48) vide a leaf match case including a flexible strip of mai terial which is properly scored and folded whereby a portion may be reverse folded downwardly to form a cover for the upper portions of the matches and with the rearward folding of portions of the strip defining side walls completing the said reverse folding of the match cover and at the same time drawing the said cover downwardly and holding the same loosely over the upper free ends of the matches.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the flexible strip from which the present leaf match case is formed.

Fig. 2 is a similar perspective view showing the initial folding step of the strip defining the match coverr Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the completed leaf match case with cigarette package storage chamber with the top 'cover in open position.

Fig. 4 is a similar View of the complete match case in fully closed position and with a package of cigarettes stored therein and shown in phantom lines.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the match case alone.

It will be understood that the above drawing illustrates merely a preferred embodiment of the invention and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.

Referring to the drawing, the flexible strip of material from which the present leaf match case is formed is generally indicated at 11 and includes the back wall element 12, the connected chamber cover 13, and the closure tab 14, respectively defined by the dotted or scored lines 15 and 16.

The said strip also includes side wall 17 which in the folded construction of Figs. 3 and 4 extends rearwardly at right angles to the plane of backing 18', said side wall being defined in said strip as by the upright scorings or dotted lines 19 and 20 respectively.

A second side Wall 21 defined by dotted lines 23 and 24, Fig. 1, also extends rearwardly from backing 18 in Figs. 3 and 4 and terminates in the outer upright tab or rear wall portion 22.

Backing 18 at its upper portion upon the opposite side of horizontal dotted line 15 terminates in the cover 25 which, as shown in Fig. 2, and in the initial step, is defined by reverse folding downwardly.

Even before this step and as shown in Fig. 1, the bottom portion of backing 18 is reverse folded upwardly as at 28 defining a support within which is positioned the set of upright leaf matches 29 having a unitary base 30.

Said base is projected within the support 28 and suitably secured to the strip as by the staple 31.

As viewed in Fig. 1, the upright portions 17 and 21 form a part of strip 11 and define the corresponding side walls 17 and 21 of Fig. 3. It will be noted in Fig. 1 that these side walls 17 and 21 above the dotted line 15 are cut into substantially triangular form. In the initial downward folding of cover 25, the said triangular extensions 26, 27 will also be downturned as shown in Fig. 2.

The rearward extension of the side walls 17 and 21 from the plane of the strip of Fig. 1 to the folded formation in Fig. 3 causes a similar folding of the triangular elements 26 and 27 as they are doubled over the side walls 17, 21 to thus forcefully draw the cover 25 tightly downward into the match engaging position shown in Fig. 3.

The important point here is that after the initial fold along the line 15 in Fig. 2, defining the cover 25 and the partially downturned triangular elements 26 and 27, further bending of the side wall elements 17 and 21 to the right angular positions with respect to backing 18 of Fig. 3 has the effect of tightly drawing the said cover 25 against the upper end portions of the matches and with respect to backing 18. Accordingly, as long as the side wall members are effectively secured and anchored, the said match cover 25 will be continuously retained in the position shown.

Continuing with the formation of the match case in Fig. 3, it is seen that the two side walls 17 and 21 terminate at their rear in the upright inwardly directed overlapping rear wall portions 22 and 12.

Tab 22 of Fig. 1 which forms one of said rear wall portions has upon its outer surface a layer of adhesive 32. With tab 22 folded to the right angularly related position shown in Fig. 3, the said adhesive surface 32 cooperatively engages the inner surface of rear wall portion 12 to thereby complete and define with said side Walls and backing 18 a chamber adapted to snugly and slidably receive a package of cigarettes such as the package 34 shown in phantom lines, Fig. 4.

An abrasive conventional match igniting strip 33 is suitably painted upon or otherwise applied to the outer surface of tab 28, as shown in the drawing.

The enclosure or chamber defined by backing 18, rear wall 12 and the side walls 17 and 21, is closed by the projecting tab 13 which forms a part of rear wall element 12 and is hingedly joined thereto along the dotted line 15. This cover 13 is adapted to overlie the upper end of said chamber, as shown in Fig. 4, with the extension tab 14 as bent along the line 16, normally at right angles to tab 13 and bearing against the inner surface of backing 18. This completes the assembly, as shown in Fig. 4.

The cover 25 overlaps and holds down the upper portions of the respective matches 29. Access to a match may be had upon the shank portion thereof from either side of the book of matches 19, which matches are normally withdrawn by a lateral shearing action with respect to the match base 30.

Figure 5 represents a slight simplification being directed only to the present match case without the cigarette package storing compartment. The construction is substantially similar, except that the pattern would merely eliminate from Fig. 1 tabs 13 and 14.

The backing 18 has the same bottom tab 28 for receiving the base of a book of matches 29 stapled thereon at 31.

In construction, as the portions 17 and 21 are folded rearwardly, the cover 25 is tilted downwardly from the 3 position shown in Fig. 1, and at the same time the porion an r be a ward and than inwar y against the rear surface of backing 18 in overlapping contacting relation and are secured with respect to backns byth m stap V The s me pr nc p a v des ibed w t re pe t t i 1 mu 4 a s ppl s it respec to ig.- namely, the rearward folding of elements 17 and 21 and the simultaneous bending downwardly of cover :25 produces match case shown in Fig. 5. The said cover here is effectively held down.

In Fig. 5 it is contemplated that the reverse turned members 17 and 21 will be laterally wider than the corresponding element shown in Fig. 1 so that the same will overlap each other upon the rear of backing 18 'to permit stapling.

Having described my invention, reference should now be had to the claim which follows.

I claim:

A leaf match case comprising ;a flexible strip of material including an upright backing, a set of upright leaf matches having an unitary base lying against said backing and secured thereto, an upper portion of said strip above said backing being reverse folded downwardly forming an immovable cover overlying the upper free ends of said matches and portions of said backing, lower portions 4 of said matches adjacent their base being uncovered mv djn a ce t ere misht PQ D Q "said st i bounding both sides of said backing and including outer portions of said cover laterally of said backing being joined to the upper ends of said upright portions as extensions thereof and extending rearwardly at right angles to said backing drawing said cover downwardly into parallel engaging registry with said matches, said upright portions defining a pair of parallel spaced side walls, at least one of said side walls terminating in an inwardly directed right angularly related rear wall portion parallel to and spaced from said backing and joined to the other side wall defining a chamber of rectangular cross section adapted to receive a package of cigarettes, said side walls and the connected rearwardly folded extensions of said cover maintaining said cover at all times tightly over the free ends of said matches.

Refere ees Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,169,180 Stone May 30, 1939 2,410,684 Rufle Nov. 5, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 466,082 Italy Oct. 15, 1951 

